Kinesiology Major

Mission

“Shaping difference makers who care for the whole person.”

Our mission in the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology program is to shape difference makers who care for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. We believe that exercise, movement, and sport help people thrive by improving health, fitness, and quality of life across the lifespan. To achieve our goals, we equip lifelong learners who are academically engaged, relationally focused, vocationally aware, and wellness oriented using approaches that are discipline based and grounded within a Christian worldview.

Concentrations

Health Professions

The health professions concentration is designed for students interested in pursuing physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, chiropractic, physician’s assistant, and other allied health graduate programs. Students are also prepared to enter academic graduate programs (master’s and doctoral) in exercise physiology, biomechanics, and other subdisciplines of kinesiology. Students gain practical, hands-on training in kinesiology, including 100 hours of supervised internships and a strong theoretical foundation in the sciences, which may fulfill graduate school prerequisites. See concentration requirements in the table below.

Applied Exercise Science

The applied exercise science concentration prepares students to obtain positions as fitness professionals, strength and conditioning specialists, wellness directors, or exercise physiologists, and/or to pursue graduate education in cardiac rehabilitation, exercise physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, sports psychology, or allied health professions (additional prerequisite courses may be necessary). Through applied and hands-on coursework, students learn to assess, design, and implement evidence-based fitness programs for clients to achieve optimal health and performance. Students also are supervised during 150+ hours of internship experience at the university’s fitness center and in the community at one of our preapproved sites. Many students are successful at finding employment in the industry prior to graduation. See concentration requirements in the table below.

Physical Education

The physical education concentration prepares individuals to teach physical education in schools using curricula based on movement science principles. Program content is aligned with two sets of standards: those of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), and the Content Standard in Physical Education of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). The knowledge and skills needed to be an effective and innovative teacher are gained through immersion in service-learning experiences within public and private schools throughout the program. See concentration requirements in the table below.

Azusa Pacific University is the only private Christian university in California with a Single Subject Approved Program in Physical Education. PE concentration students who graduate with a cumulative 2.75 GPA are waived from taking the required California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) in Physical Education for credentialing. Prerequisites for the teaching credential may be completed during the undergraduate program or along with a master’s degree in physical education. To see a list of these prerequisites, and for more information on teaching credentials, see the information provided by the Division of Teacher Education.

Academic Standards

Students are required to complete 120 units in order to obtain an undergraduate degree at Azusa Pacific. For some students, the combination of units from the concentration and general education courses will not meet the minimum number of units for graduation, so students may need to complete additional coursework. This can be accomplished by completing a minor in a field of interest, or by taking elective courses within, or outside of, the department.

For students to progress through the curriculum, they must earn a grade of C- or higher in each course in the major and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in all college coursework leading to the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Students are also required to follow the proper course sequencing and meet all prerequisites prior to completing the succeeding courses in the curriculum. The curriculum is designed to be completed in four academic years. Visit the Department of Kinesiology website to download a 4-year academic plan for your chosen concentration.

Certifications

Students seeking certification in the exercise science profession are subject to each association’s guidelines and standards to be eligible for each certification. Students are encouraged to sit for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) examination after completing KIN 242 in their sophomore year, and the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) and/or NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) examinations after completing the related 300-level coursework. Students are responsible for all the associated fees and costs for the desired certification(s).

Additional Information

Students are required to obtain CPR and First Aid certifications during the completion of PE 138 or KIN 220. CPR certification must be CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers (American Red Cross) or Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers (American Heart Association). First Aid certification must be completed through the American Red Cross. No completely online courses are permitted for CPR or First Aid.

CPR and First Aid certifications must be current prior to beginning any department-supervised internships or service-learning experiences. Students are also responsible for the transportation costs associated with required internship experiences in the major. All students are subject to other policies and procedures related to the major as determined by the program director and the Department of Kinesiology.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this program will be able to:

PLO 1: Demonstrate an understanding of our Biblical responsibility regarding the care of the human body.

PLO 2: Demonstrate proficiency in principles of kinesiology.

PLO 3: Design and implement exercise programs for a variety of populations and settings.

Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied Learning requirement.

3

Meets the General Education Natural Science requirement.

4

Meets the General Education Physical Education requirement.

5

Meets the General Education Quantitative Literacy requirement.

6

Meets the General Education Social Science requirement.

7

Meets the General Education Writing 2 requirement.

8

Foundational science courses taken during the first year in our course sequence cannot be used for this category. However, a student can take a higher-level course in the same area of study. Example #1: BIOL 101 in first year and BIOL 151 as elective. Example #2: BIOL 151 in first year and BIOL 152 as elective.